The Best Songs of 2023 So Far: Quarter 2

The second quarter of 2023 had some surprisingly strong highlights, many coming out of nowhere with little or no hype. On the other hand, a few songs with months of expectation more than delivered on their promise. In this post, I will be rounding down the best songs from April to June 2023, listed alphabetically.

Honorable Mentions

B.I - Die For Love Ft. Jessi

Death's Dynamic Shroud - You Are Burning Me Up Like This

Magdalena Bay - 2 Wheel Drive

Magdalena Bay - Top Dog

Sexy Zone - Purple Rain

SHINee - The Feeling

The Scarlet Opera - Riot

TripleS (KR)ystal Eyes - Cherry Talk

Aina the End - Red:Birthmark

Aina the End's nasally vocals might stand out as odd, but she can still infuse quite a lot of emotion within her performance. The final fifty seconds of Red:Birthmark is arguably the best example of this, as she stuns with an explosive performance over a dramatic instrumental that merges rock and orchestral instrumentation.

Alex Banin - Doc Whiler

Doc Whiler is different from every single channel of mainstream music at the moment, merging the emotive sensibilities of alt-pop with the strung sentimentalities of guitar ballads. There is something beautiful in how the track takes what is very little and makes quite a lot out of it. If this is what she can do so early in her career, I'd love to see what happens later through it.

Ali Sethi, Shae Gill, Abdullah Siddiqui, Maanu - Left Right

A collection of some of the brightest names in the Pakistani indie scene, Left Right is a strong example of what a talented collection of performers can do for a mid-tempo, with Shae Gill and co. providing their various best.

Cwondo - jpc

Cwondo's willingness to explore unique soundscapes is seen in jpc. The track feels like a wild ride through an empty yet vast jungle, while still being produced largely by electronics. It is this duality that Cwondo thrives off, and jpc is a fantastic example of.

Cwondo - Natural Kibun

Cwondo's music exists in the chasm between healing and hurting, and songs like Natural Kibun explore this dynamic quite well. The surging frontal is melodic and hopeful, while the jagged electronics in the background are disturbing and off-putting. This should come of creepy, or at the least, awkward, but instead it comes of as resonant, and almost cathartic.

Dawn - Dear My Light

After his extremely public and emotional relationship with Hyuna ended, Dawn was left in a tough spot. Perhaps it was this emotional earnestness which makes Dear My Light so affecting. Dawn clearly states his heartbreak, but thanks Hyuna for the time together, and his vocal delivery feel true, true in a way that is hard to fake.    

IVE - I Am

IVE's dramatic to an incredible commercial peak has been accomplished by their willingness to tackle larger-than-life interpretations of mundane moments, and I Am is arguably the best example of that. A confident display of living life to its fullest with dramatic flourishes over its touring Eurodance beat. Vocal moments flourish throughout the entire song, allowing vocalists Liz and Yujin to more than showcase their capabilities.

LE SSERAFIM - Eve, Psyche & The Bluebird's Wife

Even if it never is as adventurous and conceptual as its title promises, LE SSERAFIM's Eve, Psyche & Bluebird's Wife merges clever themes with a fun '90s club beat to stand out. Even if the finale leaves a lot to be desired, there is a reason this track has become a fan-favorite.

Manaka Kataoka, Maasa Miyoshi, Masato Ohashi, Tsukasa Usui - The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Main Theme

While I have yet to fully hear Tears of the Kingdom's soundtracks, moments like the main theme showcase that none of the compositional skill behind its predecessor has been lost since 2017. The rugged piano, the surging flute, the heart-tugging strings, and the eery and jagged electronics create something both beautiful and terrifying.

Seventeen - Super

Though produced by Seveteen's regular composers in Woozi and Bumzu, Super recalls labelmates BTS' massive hype tracks such as Run BTS and ON. Seventeen provide their own twist on this concept, however, with hardly a moment going to waste in the song's vast build, merging hip-hop, K-Pop, pop, and trap for something quite grand.

Shaktishree Gopalan - Aga Naga (Prod. A,R. Rahman)

If Ponniyin Selvan 1's soundtrack was a statement of intent from A.R. Rahman, its sequel album sees the legendary composer back in full force. Aga Naga might be one of the most beautiful ballads, with its stirring strings providing a picturesque landscape for Shaktishree Gopalan to showcase true euphoria in lyrical form.

Shankar Mahadevan, KS Chitra, Harini - Veera Raja Veera (Prod. A.R. Rahman)

A look at the talent behind Veera Raja Veera explains its quality. Harini is an icon, and KS Chitra and Shankar Mahadevan are nothing short of legends. A.R. Rahman unites them all for a track composed in the classic Raaga of Dhrupad, and the track serves as an ode to the famed Indian emperor Raja Raja Chola for Ponniyin Selvan 2. Veera Raja Veera leaves no stone tone unturned, for it is truly massive in its ambition, and succeeds in its aims. 

Susan Darvishi - Mockingbird

With Mockingbird, Susan Darvsihi stands closer than ever to a mainstream breakthrough, and it is quite deserved. The track oscillates between Until I Found You balladry and thundering rock opera. Few performers and songwriters could capture this duality better than Darvishi, and she captures the pent-up, everyday rage of Mockingbird succinctly.

The Scarlet Opera - I've Been Waiting For You

It's hard to believe that The Scarlet Opera are not Scandanavian and that they did not debut in the mid-noughts. The American glam rock band's sound perfectly fits into that niche soundscape, and I've Been Waiting For You is perhaps the best example. Largely a showcase of the capabilities of vocalist Luka Bazulka, the surging strings

WOODZ - Busted

WOODZ performs with duality on Busted, switching between whispered and restrained anger and explosive and furious rage. This is only compounded by the aggressive instrumental, with an almost grunge-like aesthetic in its use of extreme dynamics. The explosive chorus feels ready for an aggressive fight scene.

Image Source: Allkpop